In Need Of A Woman
by BasketKiwi
Summary: Remus takes a stroll by a Muggle school and meets an interesting person who makes him rethink his decision concerning a certain pink haired witch. For RTChallenge


**Okay, so. This is from the R/T ficathon challengey-thing. For a better explanation, go to my profile. M'kay?**

**Title: **"In Need Of A Woman"**  
Author: **BasketKiwi**  
Format & Word Count:** Fic; 804  
**Rating: **G**  
Prompt: **#3 (gate pic)**  
Warning:** Null  
**Summary: **Remus takes a stroll by a Muggle school and meets an interesting person who makes him rethink his decision.**  
Author's Note:** Short, just in time, but I forgot my stupid Creative Writing notebook in my locker over the weekend! Grr.

* * *

Remus Lupin strode down the street on his way back to Grimmauld Place. If he had to spend one more hour in the company of that creature he thought he might just vomit. After he'd bashed his skull in, of course. But it was working, Greyback thought Tonks had dumped him and he was hardly bothered by the mongrel's childish taunts. He was too busy trying to keep himself from smiling. _It was working._

Remus froze at a noise and turned to look to his right with surprise. Apparently there'd been something wrong with the Floo, but he was used to walking, though admittedly not for four hours on end. But he'd walked by here before, deep in thought. It now seemed the thoughts had demanded more attention than he'd expected if he didn't even notice there was a Muggle _school _here.

A child's laughter sounded again and Remus' heart fluttered as always. Well, not always. He hadn't gotten so thrilled when it was fellow kids laughing, though that could be because they were usually laughing at him. It had started when he'd taken the teaching job three years ago. Ever since then he had to catch his breath whenever he heard a child's happy voice.

He took a step forward and curled his fingers around the cold steel diamonds of the gate, peering through. A group of third-years, it looked like, played in a haggard circle with a big, red playground ball. But standing off to one side, watching the group with a distant expression on her face was a small, timid-looking little girl with slightly ratty brown hair and a small button nose and lips. He stared at her, transfixed; she looked somewhat familiar.

Eventually, she saw him too and walked over to the gate. Remus took a step back, disentangling his hands from it.

"Hello," she said softly, her eyes suddenly much bigger than they'd looked originally. "I'm Maura. Are you Billy's daddy?"

After a moment, Remus found his voice. "Um . . . no, Maura, I'm just walking by. . . . I'm Remus Lupin."

"Mm," she acknowledged, and spun around in a circle once. "You're a teacher, aren't you?" she asked knowingly, spinning around at random intervals.

Remus blinked. "Er – I used to be, yeah. . . . How did you know?" He stepped forward.

Maura stopped spinning and started doing an odd skipping tap dance. _Short attention span_, Remus thought with a small smile. _She'd be awful at Potions. . . ._ "You _look_ like a teacher. A poor one, and it looks like you got attacked by a dog." She stopped dancing suddenly and stared at him. "Am I right? Were you attacked?"

"Something like that, Maura." Remus placed his palm in the center of a metal diamond.

"Well, you look like you need a woman."

Remus started. "P-pardon?" he asked in shock.

"That's what Mummy says when she sees a scruffy or sad-looking man. She says 'He needs a woman. And a strong one, too.' And then she clucks!"

"C-clucks?"

"Like this: tut-tut-tut!" Maura shook her head sadly and turned it upwards again to peer at him. "_Do you_ have a woman?"

"No, I don't Maura. Not anymore." He tried to sound bitter, but it just came out all the more sadly.

Maura stepped forward and put her warm little hand in his own through an opening in the gate. "I could be one."

Remus laughed a lot louder than he had in a long time and closed his hand over hers. "Thank you, Maura. That's very sweet of you."

"That's not what Billy says." Maura was now grinning widely, whether at his laughter or the mention of the boy, he wasn't sure. "He says I'm _sour like a lemon!"_ she sang. "Watch!" The little girl turned around and hollered. "Hey! Billy!"

A tallish boy with light blonde hair looked over just as the ball came at him and caught him in the stomach. He fell right down on his bum and looked up at the laughing kids surrounding him.

"Oops!" Maura whispered and turned to face Remus. "Don't worry, I'll stay here if you need me."

Remus gulped and kissed her hand lightly. "Nah. You know what I think Billy needs right now?"

"What?" she asked curiously.

"A woman." He nodded decisively.

Maura beamed. "Well, then I've gotta go, Remus Lupin, but I'm sure you'll find one, too, soon." She patted his hand before turning and walking away. "Oh! And next time you see that dog, give it a kick for me!"

Remus stood up from where he'd been unknowingly kneeling - hardly noticing his protesting leg - and laughed, surprisingly. "I will. Don't worry, I will." And he walked backwards down the rest of the street, watching Maura scold the kids for laughing at her friend.


End file.
